The Blessings Are ALL Ours

As long as my children could hear my voice I have tried to instill on them to make every effort they could to be a blessing to those around us. Something has seemed to have gone wrong in this teaching, though, as it seems they are often looking for praise, remuneration or recognition in these acts of blessing. Today, for Pita, we learned how truly the blessings are all ours.
Today, Pita and I had the opportunity to go deliver gifts for Santa's Anonymous. I had never done this before but trying to instill the blessing attitude into my children was worth seeking out the unknown. Our day was nothing less than miraculous.
First, we had to take Cupcake to the church to rehearse for the big Christmas Celebration we are having tomorrow. She is always so willing to be involved in whatever opportunities the church has for her. Joyfully she bounced out of bed ready to sing her heart out. Pita and I eventually dragged ourselves out of bed to start our adventure. I admire Cupcake...she has really learned, lived, and loves showing the joy of the Lord.
Anyhow...we have become a group addicted to Starbucks Peppermint Hot Chocolate/Mocha/Lattes so before taking Cupcake to the church we did a quick drive thru Starbucks. As I leaned over to pay, the cashier said, "The car in front of you paid for your drinks and said have a Merry Christmas". We were so excited.
Still warm inside from the gift of mochas from a stranger, Pita and I pulled up to the Santa's Anonymous Warehouse to gather the goodies for the children we would deliver to. I am not one easily moved to tears, but before leaving our vehicle in the parking lot I was choked up. There I saw so many people working together to bless someone else. There were hockey teams and dance troops, teen agers and elderly, families and singles, and...us. How exciting! The warmth intensified.
Walking a few steps further, Sobeys and Jacksonville Meat had set up a tent where they were donating, yes DONATING, food and drink to those who were donating their time to needy children. They were serving with joy and excitement. Not one face was downcast or moody. The atmosphere was electric...and we were still outside.
As we approached the warehouse a troop of elves took our names and several thanked us for coming to help out. They were SO GRATEFUL for our efforts. They took our names and my driver's license information and gave US a gift. It was getting to the point of no return. The blessings had been piling on since I left the house and I just couldn't take it anymore. The joy in my heart spilled out of my eyes.
Then Bob Layton (I'd know that voice anywhere) greeted me, asked what area I would like to deliver to, and lead me to the place where the gifts were. Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw. The were hundreds upon hundreds, leading to thousands of bags, stuffed full of toys for needy children across Edmonton. I was so humbled. So ashamed. So touched. We have never had to tell our children there would be no gifts for Christmas. Even in our leanest of years we have been able to give to our children. Today I saw how very blessed we really are.
Each bag represented a family...not just one child. These families were unable to on their own give their children a simple toy for Christmas. My heart broke for the Mamas who so desperately love their children but can not afford to give them a gift.
We went to 10 homes and gave gifts to them. Pita was so excited to go to the doors. He loves seeing people happy and being the bearer of that joy. One area we went to when we entered the back common area, the children all scattered, running as if scared, to their doors. They didn't know if we were safe. One lady was shocked that she was recieving a gift, and we saw a glint of a tear in her eye as she said thank you. One gentleman, new to our country, could not believe the generosity of our city to consider to give them a gift.
Pita got it. He understood the best part of today was seeing the joy the gifts brought, not to the children, but to the parents and the family as a whole.
We went back to the warehouse to return the undelivered toys for redelivery tomorrow. And as we walked away a gentleman said to us "Thank-you for helping today". Pita turned away and said "The blessing was all ours!"
He was right. In the end of things, the blessings were all ours. I pray that in our Christmas celebrations, that we will remember how blessed we really are and to experience true joy year around it is not in being served but in serving that "the blessings are all ours".

"This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God... thanks be to God for His undescribable gift". 2 Corinthians 9:12, 15.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

The First Angel of Christmas 2010

I have been a nurse for longer than I've done anything else in my life. Graduating in 1986 (no need to do the math) I have worked mainly in pediatrics although my heart has always had a tug towards obstetrics from conception to the completion of the first year of life.

I have seen many amazing and heart stopping things in my nursing career. I have been at the side of a labouring teen ager while I was still a teenager myself, still in nursing school. I have seen the hand of God do mighty acts of healing which have taken my breath away and held the hand of a mother crying while God took their child's breath away.

All the opportunities I have had God has surrounded me with a powerful testimony of His presence and sovereignty in EVERY situation...those explained easily by medical science, and those which left us all asking why.

When we were first married the Lord allowed me the opportunity to work in the Pregnancy Counselling Center of Edmonton. This was an absolute dream come true. I am passionately pro-life which I believe strongly to be pro-woman (but that's another blog). After 2 years there God blessed us with children of our own and I was no longer able to stay at the center.

I use all this to preface that through all my experiences I have never been given the illustration of Psalm 129 ever before like I did last night at work.

I work in a small Urgent/Emergent care center. We had a woman come in who was pregnant, 7 weeks, and bleeding, heavily. In my presence this sweet lady gave birth (and yes I mean GAVE BIRTH) to a perfectly made, purely amazing infant. Not expecting to see more than a blob of tissue, we rinced the tiny form off, breaking away the blood that had clotted this little one, and in that moment I clearly saw an infant. NO I did NOT see a "Product of Conception" or a "FETUS". I saw an infant. Had my eyes not been blurred with tears I would have clearly been able to count fingers and toes. I saw the eyes...and the little nose hole. I saw a baby.

As I drew close to the head of the Mama, tears streaming down her face, I whispered, "your baby has been born and is perfect". Becoming more tearful, she could not bear to see the tiny formed body. She told me she knew the second he was born...and thanked me for not calling it a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion" but knowing she already loved this little babe, having fought for all her life to keep him, realizing it was a labour of love, she gave birth. The moment was sacred.

This little one is the first angel of Christmas. It has renewed my passion not only for the unborn but also for the empty arms that often lose their little ones through miscarriage or abortion.

"You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made". Psalm 139

May the empty arms of every mother who is experiencing loss be filled with the Prince of Peace this Christmas.